Historical Timeline: Past, Present and Future.
For over 40 years Penn & Teller have defied labels—and at times physics and good taste– by redefining the genre of magic and inventing their own very distinct niche in comedy.
Pen & Teller Historic Timeline
1975
Penn & Teller meet.
Penn & Teller meet through mutual friend Weir Chrisemer and start performing as The Asparagus Valley Cultural Society
1977
The Mike Douglas Show.
They make their TV debut on “The Mike Douglas Show.” Their long-running show is a hit in Philadelphia. P&T perform as a duo in small clubs and fairs across the country.
1980-1984
The San Francisco run.
Their show continues multi-year runs in San Francisco and L.A. They appear on The
Merv Griffin Show.
1985
Off-Broadway.
“Penn & Teller” opens Off-Broadway to rave reviews, breaking box office records. Bookings on “Saturday Night Live,” “Late night with David Letterman” and “Miami Vice” follow. They win an Emmy for their first TV special, “Penn & Teller Go Public,” and an Obie for their Off-Broadway show.
1987
It’s tricky.
“Penn & Teller” moves to Broadway and opens at The Ritz (Now the Walter Kerr) Theatre. They star in the RUN DMC video, “It’s Tricky.”
1989
They get killed.
Their first movie, “Penn & Teller Get Killed,” directed by Oscar nominee Arthur Penn is released and their first book, “Cruel Tricks for Dear Friends,” is published.
1990
They try it at home.
The NBC special “Don’t Try This At Home!” airs in November with Penn driving an 18-wheeler over Teller as the centerpiece trick.
1991
The Broadway return.
Penn & Teller return to Broadway for a limited run.
1993
Vegas debut.
Penn & Teller make their Las Vegas debut at Bally’s.
1994
On the air in the UK.
The UK series “The Unpleasant World of Penn & Teller” airs.
1996
TV appearances.
Appearances on dozens of top-rated shows such as “Friends,” “Dharma & Greg,” “Home Improvement,” “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch,” “The Drew Carey Show,” “Hollywood Squares” and “Muppets TONIGHT.”
1999
The Simpsons.
Penn & Teller make the first of two appearances as their animated selves on “The Simpsons.”
2001
Penn & Teller at the Rio.
They begin their long-running residency at Rio all-suit hotel & casino in Las Vegas,
which continues today, making them the longest-running headlining act in Vegas history. They take time off for a brief return to Broadway to appear in “The Rocky Horror Show.
2003
Total Bullsh!t.
“Penn & Teller: Bullshit!” premieres on Showtime and runs for eight seasons, earning 13 Emmy nominations and a Writers Guild Award.
2005
The Aristocrats.
Penn conceives and produces the acclaimed documentary “The Aristocrats.” The NBC
special “Penn & Teller: Off The Deep End” airs. They make a controversial appearance
on “The West Wing.”
2008
Penn dances.
Penn dons his ballroom shoes to compete on ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars.”
2010
Teller’s Play Dead.
Teller co-writes and directs the acclaimed Off-Broadway thriller “Play Dead” and Penn’s book “God, No!” becomes a New York Times bestseller.
2011
Fool Us debuts.
“Penn & Teller: Fool Us” debuts on TV in the U.K. A hit American version premieres on The CW in 2014.
2012-2013
The walk of fame.
Penn competes on two seasons of “Celebrity Apprentice,” raising more than $1 million
for his charity, Opportunity Village, and creates a signature ice cream sold in Walgreens/Duane Reade stores. Penn & Teller are given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
2014
Tim’s Vermeer.
Their acclaimed documentary “Tim’s Vermeer,” about a Texas artist’s quest to paint a
Vermeer, is released. They end a sold-out U.K. tour with a command performance for
Prince Charles at Windsor Castle.
2015
Back to Broadway.
Penn & Teller make a triumphant return to Broadway for the first time in nearly 25 years.
2016
More Vegas history.
Penn & Teller become the longest-running headlining act in Las Vegas history.
2018
The Big Bang.
Teller becomes a recurring character on “The Big Bang Theory.”